Half to albert a



(No Model.)

E. E. M EIGS'..

GAR BRAKE.

Patented Jan. 4, .1887.

N. PETERS Phmauuwgnpner, wnhlngmn. D c,

. away to shown construction.

V device.

UNITED STATES Fries.

PATENT EDMUND H. MEIGS, OF EAST BERLIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSICrNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ALBERT A. BARNES, OFv SAME PLACE. Y

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.355,654, dated January 4. 1887.

Application filed October 31, 1885. `Serial No. 181,456.

To ctZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, EDMUND H. MEIGs, of East Berlin, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet Mechanisms, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved mechanism with part of the cover of the case broken Fig. 2 is a View in vertical section through the case on plane denoted by line x a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail end view of the case, cover, and trip Fig. 4 is a detail viewin vertical section through the parts on plane denoted by line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail topl view of the pawl-spring and its stump, the pawl being shown in dot-ted outline. Fig. 6 is a detail bottom view of the pawl.

My improvement relates to the class of ratchets that are commonly used in connection with the brakerod ou a railway-car; and it consists in details of the construction and combination of the ratchet, pawl, and trip device, as more particularly hereinafter described.

My improved mechanism is herein described and illustrated as adapted for use in connection with the brake of a railway-car; but it evidently may be applied to other vstructures for similar purposes.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter a denotes the platform of the car, and b the casing containing part of the mechanism, and composed of a comparatively shallow box, b', that is preferably of iron cast to shape, and the cover bwhich is also of iron cast to shape with a rim that overhangs the edges of the box. This case may be securely fastened to the platform by screws, or byf'means of bolts c, and the brake-rod d passes through the casing, and is supported in place by means of the ring or collar d', fast to the rod, which bears the usual hand-Wheel, di, by means of which the rod is turned. l

The ratchet-wheel e is of ordinary construction, is located within the box, and is secured to the brake-rod, as by means of a key, e. The pawl f is also located Within the case, and is supported on the pivot or stump f, with one (No model.)

end,f2, engaging the teeth of the ratchet-wheel in such manner that the latter is prevented from turning in one direction, and the other end, f3, of this pawl extends beyond the pivot and engages the lower end of the trip device g. In the form shown this end]c3 of the pawl is forked,'and the upper edge of the inner surfaces'havethe bevels f4. In the underside of the paWl is a spring socket,f5, within which a spring, h, that is fastened to the stump or pivot f, lies when the paWl is in place in the case;

and this spring tends to hold the pawl in po- 4 sition to engage the teeth of the ratchet in its normal position,

The trip device g consists of a tiliinglever,

end is moved downward in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, the forward end of the pawl is thrust out of engagement with the ratchet-teeth and the hold upon the brake released. The operating parts of vthis device are mainly covered within the case, and pro- 8c tected from being clogged by dirt, snow, or ice. The parts, with the exception of the spring, are formedy by casting, and are therefore cheap in construction, and the whole is so arranged as to be easily put together for op'er- 85 ,I am aware that it i`s not new, and do not, broadly, claim a pawl for the ratchet-wheel of a brake-rod provided with a trip device, such` being shown in patents to Sadler, No. 157,697, 9o

and Ralston, No. 248,838.

I claim as my invention i 1. In combination, a brakerod, d, bearing a ratchet-wheel, e, a pawl, f, with one end forked,

held in engagement with the ratchet by a spring, and the trip device g, consisting of the tilting footpiece and the arm for engaging the end of the pawl, all substantially as described.

2. In combination, the casing b, consisting of the box b and` cover b2, cast to shape with roo This trip device offers no 7o the integral pivot f, and lugs that support 4C. In combination with the casing b, the the tilting-lever, a brake-r0d, d, bearing the brake-rod cl, bearing the ratchet-wheel e, the ratchet-wheel e, arranged within the easing, pawlf, a paWl-spljing, h, andthe tilting-lever the pawl f, and the trip device g, all su bstanhaving the foot-piece g and the arm g2, the latx5 5 tially as described. ter extending within the case and engaging 3. In combination with the easing b, the rod the beveled surfaces f* on the end of the pawl d, the ratchet-wheel e, fast to the rod, the pawl f all substantially as described.

f,4 pivoted within the case, the pawl-spring h, EDMUN D H. MEIGS.

and the tilting-lever having the foot-piece g', Witnesses: Io and the arm g2, that engages the forked end of JULIUS W. BURR,

the pawl f, all substantially as described. GEORGE SCOTT. 

